Checkin In
Day 230
Last night was crazy. Alcohol all around me, panic attack, but got through the night
Checkin In
Day 230
Last night was crazy. Alcohol all around me, panic attack, but got through the night
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Going to try and send you a link that I’ve copied and pasted before. Hope it works. Just some tips for those who want to stop smoking.
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Thank you 
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Day 69.
Big fun full day. I check in only now and see so much happened here too!
Tucking in tired and sober and happy. G’night, big love to all 
@Jdiaz pics of garden! it looks amazing. For me, the act of planting and maintaining a garden (or potted plants) serves as a symbol of hope for something to grow (be it the plant or dreams or both) and taking the action to make it happen. happy sobriety! and for making it through the pool party sober 
@TMAC Iceland might’ve just bumped a couple of countries lower on my travel-to-next list… thank you for sharing the pics and your motivating headspace!
@Dazercat very supportive of TS meet up conference in Iceland! 
hiking included, yeah?
@Hopeful777 so great to hear about your job! congrats on your 47 days. sounds like you are living life large with a full and happy heart 
and I’m glad you are getting a break to recharge too!
@Joy 400 days. You continue to inspire! 
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Well done stay strong, and think of your craving as the chucklehead telling you to drink Today. It might help you knock the craving back xx
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Thanks @Apes2020, @Mno, @Conor689908, @C_8, @CapriciousCapricorn and @M-be-free49 I’m mighty glad I’ve rid myself of stupid cigarettes, the freedom is exhilarating, believe you me!
Blessings and sobriety y’all!
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700 days sober. Grateful. One day at a time folks. Wish you all a great sober Monday 
Turning green in quarantine
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day 270! only 90 days to one year, crazy how the time flies. I wish I was just having a better go of things lately, I think my depression is getting a little bit worse. might try meds again soon.
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So grateful I discovered this forum, have been scrolling through the various topics, and have read some very real stories and advice. Going through withdrawals, but more motivated than ever to start my sober journey. If you can send me good vibes please 
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Welcome to the forum. The withdrawals will pass. Stick around and keep checking in here.
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Morning, day 14, coffee, shower then work 
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Good morning beautiful souls, checking in after a amazing camperoo AA weekend retreat full of fellowship and laughter,great food,music all in the back drop of the Forset… @Dolse joked around with me BC I’m na ,he’s like how on earth do you go into the middle of the woods for the weekend and come away with a AA sponsor.in my head I was thinking BC I just carried on doing the right next thing,she’s aware I’m on meds so no lies or dishonesty and it came at the right time not when I was looking or seeking it out.NOW IF THATS NOT A MIRACLE I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS!!! They suggest you stick Around don’t leave before the miracle happens.im checking in on day 45 feeling grateful and extremely blessed.
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52.02 Days
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I’m here, I’m alive and I’m sober.
Day 8
Kids are having the day off today, they are still sick so they’ll probably be at home anyway.
I’ve got zoom School from 10.00-15.00, I know I’ve said it before but I absolutely love that I’ve got the possibly to do this semester online, it makes life so much easier.
My brother has raised their bid on the house hoping to get it before it opens for the public, unfortunately they are already almost on their budget so we’re all crossing our fingers hoping they’ll close the deal.
Pa was here yesterday, If I would’ve known that he was on his way I’d advise him not to come because he’s in a risk group. So we all wore a mask stayed outside and kept the distance while he was here. It was nice to see him, and he is going to the hospital tomorrow for a new check up, a possible change on his meds and an x-ray. For the last visit they said he’ll probably be better for Christmas. I hope they are right.
My husband surprisingly have taken some time off work for falk break it’s in 8 weeks and he is going to be home the entire week. I’m looking forward to that.
My diet went well yesterday, no big sugar cravings that I couldn’t handle. And I used to eat gluten and dairy free when I was a kid. I have to admit that there’s a lot more options nowdays and that it tastes a lot better than I remember… Ir maybe it’s because I’m just tired of not feeling well 
Wishing y’all an amazing, I’ll have something to eat and then logon for school.
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- It’s back to work today. Late shift. No coincidence I feel a bit down I guess. Back to the real world. All I can do is keep moving my ass and not sink back in the routine of working and doing very little besides. So going to do some house chores now. And think of a plan how to renovate the rest of my place. One day and one job at a time. Sober and clean for sure. Using is no longer an option. Sometimes that’s a bit of a depressing thought still, yet it’s indefinitely better than the alternative. Have a good week all. Clean and sober. Love from Amsterdam and the beach.
@Fireweed Congrats Hanna!
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Day 243. Focussing on myself now. I have no clue how to fix myself after my disastrous previous relationship.
I’ve neven been in this position where I chose for my own happiness. My sound stranges to some.
I could use some help or tips!
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Going to the gym is a good one. I started going too, nearly 5 years ago when I quit smoking. Knowing and using the 5 D’s helped me a lot back then. Posted it here with some other links embedded. Hope it’s of some use to you. Success Claartje!
The Five Ds of Smoking Cessation
The five Ds is a set of tools that will help you quickly respond to the majority of smoking urges you’ll encounter in a healthy way. Memorize them and get in the habit of checking to see whether your cravings that come along fit into any of them.
The five Ds are:
- Delay
- Distract
- Drink water
- Deep breathing
- Discuss
1. Delay
Delay until the craving to smoke passes. Cravings are difficult, but they usually pass fairly quickly.
Most urges to smoke come and go within three to five minutes.
It may feel like your day is one long craving when you first quit, but the truth is that smoking urges really are relatively short in duration. They come often during the first several days after you stop smoking, but with practice at choosing other ways to deal with them rather than smoking, they’ll begin to fade.
2. Distract
Distract yourself. Shift your attention away from thoughts of smoking—go for a walk around the block or work on a crossword puzzle. Distraction effectively stops the unhealthy mindset that enables thoughts of smoking. Left unchecked, those thoughts can cause you to spiral downward, so try to stay busy.
101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking
3. Drink Water
Drink water to beat cravings to smoke. It works surprisingly well. Nicotine withdrawal is hard on your body, and good hydration will help to ease the negative effects. You’ll feel better both physically and mentally.
4. Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is a quick and effective way to reduce the stress that comes with early smoking cessation.
Close your eyes and breathe in slowly for a count of three, then exhale for a count of three. Repeat and you’ll begin to feel your body release the tension it’s holding.
Stress is a bit of a double-edged sword for new ex-smokers. We used cigarettes to deal with the stress in our lives, so when we quit, stress causes strong urges to smoke for most of us. At the same time, the early days of quitting create their own stress as well. Learning how to manage stress on the spot is critical, and deep breathing does just that.
5. Discuss
Discuss your feelings with someone close to you or with other ex-smokers in an online smoking cessation support forum. There’s nothing better for your resolve than connecting with those who are walking the path alongside you or hearing from those who have navigated smoking cessation successfully.
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And one more post for help with quitting smoking: The Quit Kit, written by a member of a quit smoking forum that no longer exists but was a big help to me.
The Quit Kit
Repost by GrammaX6
Welcome Newbies! Ready to quit? Then you need a Quit Kit!
It isn’t a matter of just slapping on a patch or chewing some nic gum. Every behavior you can think of is tied to your smoking. We smoked because we were happy, sad, mad, hurt, tired, sick, bored…etc. You need to replace those habits. Take a day to make a plan.
We call it a Quit Kit. It can be anything you want. Get creative and really think about it. Some things folks have used is nicotine gum. You can buy regular gum the same size, color and flavor so you can go back and forth between the two. If you are using the patch, make sure you have an extra patch in the office, in your purse, or in your wallet, for those days when you have forgotten to put one on in the morning. It happens more than you think! Have lozenges available for those high stress / high craving times.
Have some Red Vines to ‘smoke’. Or cut up a straw into thirds…especially during high trigger times like driving. Sometimes it feels good to just hold it if you are accustomed to always having a smoke in your hand. Grab your favorite CDs or tapes to put in your car so you can put one in and sing out loud. My favorite was dancing and singing at the same time. Your brain cannot do a third thing, so thinking about smoking just disappears.
To keep your mind and hands busy, go to Michael’s or some other craft store and look for things to do. Buy something that interests you; rug hooking kits, scrap booking stuff, or Christmas stocking kits for the grand kids. Or, get some coloring books and colored pencils or felt tip pens. Stained glass, floral, tropical fish or Native American motif coloring books are available everywhere now. They make you want to do a good job. Dora the Explorer would make me want to scribble on her face. LOL!
Make a list of everything that needs to be done, or you want to do around the house. Go through each room and write down everything from cleaning out drawers and closets to painting, rearranging or redecorating. Same with the garage and yard work. Once you have your list, break it down into 5-15 minutes segments so nothing becomes overwhelming.
Make baggies of crunchy foods to satisfy your mouth so they are at work and handy to grab. Carrots, celery, chex mix, pretzel sticks (you can hold those like a cig), gum, etc. They need to be ready to just grab at any given time.
This is important!!! The Three Post Rule: When you are craving and really shaky, post and click the “I’m craving and need some help” box. Wait for at least 3 response posts before you make a decision to purchase cigarettes or to smoke. Most times, you will be fine once you read the posts (keeps you from dwelling). If not…post again and wait for 3 more.
Once you have all these things figured out you will be well prepared to handle anything and you don’t even have to think…just look at your list… Keep 1 copy at work, 1 at home, 1 in your purse or wallet, 1 in the car.
If you did one day, you can do 2. If you did 3, you can do one more. No future tripping. You can’t do a darn thing about tomorrow until it gets here. Today is a good time to quit but if you feel you can’t, then take tomorrow to put together your Quit Kit and quit the day after. Don’t set a quit date out there for 2 weeks, 1 month, etc. All you do is make yourself crazy in your head by stressing over that date. You know you can do this.
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